How John Wick 2 Landed That Major Matrix Reunion

John Wick: Chapter 2 is on the horizon and the action sequel has a nice surprise for sci-fi fans.

The new trailer for the film, once again starring Keanu Reeves as the titular brooding assassin, recently debuted at New York Comic Con and shows the first look at Laurence Fishburne's character in the film. Fishburne previously costarred alongside Reeves in the Matrix trilogy, playing the philosophical Morpheus. His character in Wick hasn't been fleshed out yet, but he'll be something of a “psuedo ally,” director Chad Stahelski told the audience during the film's Comic Con panel. Fishburne appears in the trailer, greeting Wick while holding a dove. “The man, the myth, the legend,” he says. “You're not very good at retiring.”

Stahelski also shared that the character was actually written with Fishburne in mind. The director coordinated stunts on all three Matrix films, so he was excited at the prospect of a possible reunion. Reeves also said during the panel that he ran into Fishburne at a social event, where the actor mentioned that he liked the first Wick film.

Later, he, Fishburne, and Stahelski met in New York. “He loved it, and that's how we did our Matrix reunion,” Stahelski says.

Fishburne's character aside, the cast and crew also shared new plot details about the upcoming sequel, which also stars franchise newcomers Common and Ruby Rose. The sequel takes place about four days after the events of the first. This time around, Wick is in Rome (and of course, still dressed in impeccably tailored suits), fulfilling a sort of blood oath he made before turning back on his assassin lifestyle. Also — he's got a new dog.

“You guys will see what happens to the dog,” producer Basil Iwanyk says, rushing to add that “it's great” after hearing the crowd's trepidation. (The last film wasn't very kind to the first dog.)

Common says he was super excited to join the cast. “Everything I love about movies was in John Wick,” he said, later adding that his character is “not necessarily a villain.”

“We have different points of view,” Reeves joked.

Ian McShane also returns to reprise his role as hotel owner Winston. “I’m still running the hotel, what do you think?” he said when asked what his character is up to now. ”Assassins never stop.”

Reeves also promised that we'll learn a bit more about Wick's lifestyle. When asked if the Rome-centric plot would include the Pope at all, he played it coy: “We address that.”